Wardrobe case



May 29, 1934. H. P. DANIELSEN WARDROBE CASE Filed Jan. 18. 1932 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYQS Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,960,480 7 WARDROBE CASE Hans P. Danielsen, Racine, Wis., assignor to Hartmann Trunk Company, Racine, W1s., a corporation of Wisconsin Application January 18 3 Claims.

The present invention relates in general to improvements in the construction of wardrobe cases or the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide various improvements in the details of construction of wardrobe cases of the type forming the subject of copending application Serial No. 571,512, filed October 28th, 1931.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and readily manipulable means for effecting storage of a plurality of garments in a compact storage housing, without undesirably crushing the garments.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a luggage carrier which may be used to effectively store either or both, mens suits and womens garments.

Still another object of the invention is to provide storage instrumentalities which avoid an necessity of making undesirably sharp folds in suits or garments coacting therewith, and which are moreover adapted to accommodate long gar ments.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved wardrobe case wherein several suits or garments may be housed so that independent removal of one or more of the articles may be effected without disturbing others.

A further object of theginvention is to pro- 0 vide a luggage carrier case wherein the concealed suits or garments are locked in place when the case is closed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved garment storage and carrier 5 case which is simple, strong, light and compact in construction, and which may be manufactured at minimum cost.

These and other objects of the invention will be clearly apparent from the following detailed description.

Some of the novel features of wardrobe case construction shown and described but not specifically claimed herein, form the subject of v said copending application Serial No. 571,512, filed October 28, 1931.

V A clear conception of an embodiment of the several features of the improvement and of the mode of constructing and of manipulating devices built in accordance with the invention, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a wardrobe 5 case while open and with the storage mechanism 1932, Se1'ial No. 587,324

positioned for the reception or removal of garments;

Fig. 2 is a similar section through" the case, showing the garment folding rack partially displaced from; garment confining position;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the ward robe case, taken along the line 33 and at right angles to the plane of section of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the case,.taken on the line 4-4; of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the improved coat hangers which may be substituted for one or more of the garment retainer. bars ordinarily used. a

While the invention has been shown and described herein as being specifically applied to a light suitcase, it should be understood that it is not intended to thereby limit the scope, since the features of the improvement are obviously more generally applicable to other types of luggage storers and carriers.

' Referring to the drawing. the housing portion of the wardrobe case comprisesjin general a rectangular body section 8 of considerable, depth, and 'a shallower we.-rdrobe or cover section 9 ingedly connected to the body sections. The body section B is provided with a carrier handle 11, and the opening movement of the .cover section 9 is limited by'a foldable stay 10. which when extended, holds the cover section substan% tially at right angles relative to the body section. A side wall of the body section 8 may be provided with a pocket 12 for the smiall articles.

Mounted within said cover or wardrobe section 9 is a clothes rack formed of a pair of side arms 13 joined at their outer free ends by' a revoluble transverse bar 14, and further joined and braced intermediate their ends by a transverse braee 15. The lower or inner end portions of said arms are pivotally connected, by means of studs 16, to opposed inner side; wall portions of the cover section relatively close to the hinge connectiontbetween the case sections. By means of the pivotal mounting, said rack may be ,pivotally moved from a normal position. entirely within the confines of the cover section, as shown in full lines in Fig. 4, to alowered position projecting horizontally outwardly of the cover section when the latter is in open position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. -In the latter posi-- tion the ends of the bar 14. rest on bosses 17 formed therefor on opposite inner side walls of the body section. The inner ends of the arms reception of its 13 are flanged inwardly, as at 18, and said arms above the pivotal connections 16, carry fixed rearwardly projecting curved lugs 19, all for purposes hereinafter to be referred to.

A pair of bearing brackets 20 are mounted on opposite inner side walls of the cover section immediately below or inwardly of the pivot studs 16. Each bracket is formed with a cupped portion 21 which has an opening 22 in its side wall located so that the opening is upwardly and rearwardly directed when the cover is in open position, as shown. Adapted to cooperate with the clothes rack in the mounting and folding of garments is a clothes bar 23, the ends of which are fitted with metal caps 24 formed inwardly of the extremities with annular flanges 25. The bar 23 is normally positioned transversely of the cover section and is so maintained by the en.- gagement of the capped ends 24 with the bearing brackets 20.

A second pair of bearing brackets 26 are mounted on opposite inner side walls of the cover section somewhat above and rearwardly of the brackets 20, when the cover is in open position. Said bearing brackets 26 are similar to the bearing brackets 20, having openings 27 in their side walls 28. A second clothes bar 29, adapted to coach with the clothes rack, is removably engaged by said brackets 26, said bar 29 also having flanged caps 30 enclosing its end portions.

When the clothes rack is in the lowered, outwardly directed position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and in broken lines in Fig. 4, both of the clothes bars 23 and 29 may be freely removed from or engaged with their respective pairs of bearing brackets, by moving the capped ends of the bars with respect to said brackets through the wall openings 22 or 27 therein. However, when the clothes rack is in its normal position within the cover section, shown in Fig. 4, with respect to the lower clothes bar 23, the flanged ends 18 of the side arms 13 extend over the bracket openings 22 and thereby prevent removal of said clothes bar 23. With respect to the upper or second clothes bar 29, in the afore-mentioned position of the clothes rack the curved lugs 19 will extend over the wall openings 27 0f the brackets 26 and also prevent removal of said clothes bar 29.

There is secured to the rear inner wall of the cover section of the case a garment retainer and covering curtain 31. Said curtain is attached only along the rear edge and in the form shown, when the clothes hanging and folding devices are engaged with garments andthe rack is swung entirely into said cover section, and said curtain 31 may be pulled up over the garments, rack and bars and may be releasably retained in this position by an adjustably carried clasp element 32 releasably engageable with a complementary clasp element 33 depending from the front or upper wall of the cover section. Instead of the clasp arrangement shown, it is also contemplated that there may be formed between inner side portions of the cover section and side edges of said curtain 31, hookless fasteners, by

which means said curtain could be readily released and dropped to exposing position, or pulled portion corresponds in length to the length of a clothes bar 23 or 29 and its reduced end portions 34 may be readily received by the desired bearing brackets. The hanger portion 35 is adapted to conveniently receive coats or the like, and mens garments.

To pack the improved wardrobe case the cover section 9 is first opened with respect to the body section 8 and it will be held in open position by the extended stays 10. Next, the complementary clasps 32 and 33 for the curtain 31 are disengaged and the curatin is permitted to fall to an exposing position. When disengaged said curtain may be laid over the body section to protect articles therein during the packing operations. The clothes rack is then extended horizontally outwardly of the cover section and assumes the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. With the clothes rack thus positioned, the clothes bars 23 and 29 may be bodily removed from their mountings, as previously explained. The use of the two clothes bars permits a division of the garments to be packed in the wardrobe or cover section and some of the garments are hung over the bar 23 so that the same are engaged substantially medially thereby and are folded once thereover, while other garments are similarly folded over the other bar 29. The bars, with the garments thereon, are then re-inserted into their respective brackets or mountings, and the once folded garments on the bars are stretched therefrom over the body section and over the rod portion 14 of the clothes rack, as clearly shown in broken lines in Fig. 1. Following this, the entire clothes rack is pivotally moved upwardly through an arc of about one hundred and eighty degrees, through the position shown in Fig. 2, until the clothes rack, with the folded garments thereon, is entirely lodged within the cover section against the wall thereof. This movement of the clothes rack again folds the garments. The garments next are smoothed and arranged to prevent wrinkling, and lastly, the curtain 31 is pulled up and secured in retaining and protecting position. The body section 8 may be packed with miscellaneous wearing apparel and traveling paraphernalia. When the cover section is closed with respect to'the body section it is held by latch members 36 When the two clothes bars 23 and 29 are utilized the wardrobe section is primarily adapted for the reception of dresses and like articles of apparelfor Women. If it is desired to include in the wardrobe section mens suits, coats and the like, the hanger device shown in Fig. 5 may be substituted for one of the bars and coats may be mounted on the hanger portion 35 and draped over the rod portion 14 of the clothes rack. Hence, the wardrobe section is suitable, not only for womens dresses and apparel, but also for mens garments, or for both mens and womens apparel. 7

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the improved wardrobe case provides for the accommodation entirely within one section of the case of compactly folded and disposed full length garments. By virtue of the two clothes bars or clothes bar and hanger, undesirable sharp folds in the housed garments may be eliminated and it is possible to house garments so that independent removal of the same from the case may be accomplished. Also, garments for both men and women may be contained within the wardrobe section. When the case is opened the garment rack and bars or hangers may be moved for ready access for packing and inspection of garments, while when the case is closed the garment rack prevents dislodgment or removal of the bars or hangers from their proper mountings. The improved wardrobe case is furthermore simple and novel, and is well adapted for the purposes set forth.

What is claimed as the invention is:

l. A wardrobe case comprising, a pair of hingedly connected sections, a clothes rack pivotally mounted in one of said sections and having a garment folding bar movable into and out of said section, a plurality of independent garment hanger mountings disposed within said section adjacent to the pivot of said rack, a plurality of independently removable garment hangers removably supported by said mountings within said section, all of said hangers cooperating with said bar to fold and confine a plurality of garments within said section while permitting independent removal of the garments, and a plurality of means on said rack coacting independently with all of said mountings to look all of the hangers within their respective mountings when the rack is in a predetermined position.

2. A wardrobe case comprising, a pair of hingedly connected sections, a clothes rack p-ivotally mounted in one of said sections and having a garment folding bar movable into and out of said section, a plurality of independent garment hanger mountings disposed within said section adjacent to the pivot of said rack, a plurality of independently removable garment hangers removably supported by said mountings within said section, all of said hangers cooperating with said bar to fold and confine a plurality of garments within said section while permitting independent removal of the garments, and plural means carried by said rack and independently cooperable with all of said mountings to lock the hangers within their respective mountings when the rack is disposed entirely within said section.

3. A wardrobe case comprising, a main section, a cover section hingedly connected to said main section, a clothes rack pivotally mounted within said cover section and having a garment folding bar movable into and out of said section, a plurality of independent sets of garment hanger mounting sockets spacedly disposed within said cover section adjacent the pivot of said rack, a plurality of independently removable garment hangers each supported by one set of said sockets within said cover section, all of said hangers cooperating with said bar to fold and confine a plurality of garments within said cover section while permitting independent removal of the garments, and plural means on said rack coacting independently with all of said sockets to lock all of the hangers within their respective socket sets when the rack is disposed within said cover section.

HANS P. DANIELSEN. 

